Stealers (Newt x Reader)

Chapter 24: A Catch Up

We walked towards the homestead and the kitchen, Minho mentioning something about feeling 'starved', I doubted he was really starved but headed with him and the others to the kitchen anyway, knowing the Fry wouldn't be so keen on him raiding his fridge. Minho knew this as well, but he would always do it anyway. He was almost skipping along, Thomas not far behind him, their spirits surprisingly high. I wanted to match it but every time I felt the smile return to my face, I immediately thought of what had happened down in the weapons room and the smile was wiped away. 

"Don't take a lot though, we're rationing," Newt warned him when we opened the door to the kitchen but Minho just let out a light laugh.

"Shank, from what I've heard and what we found, there is no need to worry about rationing," his cockiness almost made me uneasy, knowing that there was still so much that could go wrong, but at the same time it was refreshing and I couldn't help but laugh a little. He took out some apple slices that were left in the fridge and threw one up into the air, just missing his mouth.

"Okay maybe we don't need to ration but that's just a waste," Newt pointed to the piece of apple on the floor, a fake look of anger on his face before he gave a small chuckle.

"If you're so bothered, pick it up and eat it," he smirked and carried on talking, not caring about showing the contents of his mouth, "Okay, a catch up. So we basically found the tunnel, pretty scary stuff though, had to follow a griever to find where it is but we have it mapped out already. They're everywhere though, the grievers I mean. Luckily me and Thomas are two clever shanks so we didn't get caught." He had the same smug grin as when he started talking and something about it didn't sit right with me, washing away the feeling of refreshment it had given me a minute ago. Maybe it was just the fact that I was annoyed anyway or maybe it was how Minho was almost ignoring the fact that this whole thing could end with us all dead. Maybe it was both. Either way I thought it was insensitive but I bit my tongue. 

"Yeah so I say we go as soon as possible, like tonight," Thomas suggested. I widened my eyes and looked at him.

"We can't go tonight, it's dark and people have been working all day, we need to let them rest and at least mentally prepare them a little bit for what we're all about to do," I reasoned with them. Some of these boys were barely thirteen and others were strong but not strong enough to suddenly run a maze and then fight off however many grievers that will be waiting for us. In their sudden buzz of excitement from the tunnel and the code, they were completely forgetting how to be rational and the stakes that we were at.

"What and go through another night of grievers coming into the glade? No, I don't think so," Minho shook his head and scoffed, adding a laugh at the end. I narrowed my eyes at him and cocked my head to the side, trying to figure out how he could be so casual about everything.

"Minho." My voice was cold and stern and he looked at me as soon as I said his name, "This is not some game."

"Um, yeah I know," he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Then stop laughing!" I didn't mean to be so loud but it came out before I could stop myself, "some of these boys know nothing about fighting or running, and how they survived that first griever attack, I don't know but they did and now we have to help them. They need rest and they need to be actually ready for what we're going to do. We need to be ready for it. This isn't something that can be half-arsed, it's something we've been trying to do for years and you're sat here laughing and eating apple slices. Grow up! But yeah, I think it's better to stay here for a night, prepare ourselves, even if that means losing someone. Because I would rather lose one than go out now and lose all of us! Because that's what we're risking, Minho. We are risking every single person's life in here!" I saw out the corner of my eye Thomas take a step back, clearly wanting to stay out of the crossfire, but I kept my eyes on Minho, who didn't waste any time to snap back at me. 

"Okay sorry for trying to keep the mood light. Sorry for thinking that we could do this. Oh and sorry for actually having hope and excitement that we've finally found a way out of this place because that's clearly not good enough for you," his voice was thick with sarcasm and his face was tinted slightly red. I knew he would think about my words sooner or later but I felt a hot anger in me and I knew I had to leave.

"We're not out yet," my voice stayed as cold as ice as I turned and walked out, slamming the door behind me. 

Newt's POV

"She has a point," I said, "we should just tell everyone tonight, prepare tomorrow and then leave that evening." I looked between Thomas and Minho, trying to ignore the tension that was left lingering in the room. I wanted to go after her but the escape from the maze felt more important and I had a feeling she would agree with me. The last thing I wanted was her being annoyed at me as well.

"Of course you agree with her," Minho grumbled but I just ignored it. After a second he spoke up again, "But fine whatever, I guess she has a point." I knew he probably did agree with her, but was just too proud to admit it, a classic Minho move. I took out a small piece of paper that I had written the full code on and handed it to Thomas, making him look at me with a hint of confusion.

"The code," I smiled, a nice buzz of satisfaction sitting nicely in my stomach at the words, "You're gonna need it." He just smiled back and put it in his pocket, zipping it up to ensure he didn't lose it. 

"Oh and those guys you sent to find Gally," Thomas said, a slight hesitation laced in his voice. I gulped slightly, a strange twisting feeling replacing the kind satisfaction that was there only a few seconds earlier.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, no one found him in the glade, they think he's gone into the maze," Thomas shrugged slightly but I knew he was at as much of a loss as to what to do as the rest of us. I sighed, closing my eyes for a second. 

"Well then as bad as it bloody sounds, he's probably lost or dead and we shouldn't worry about it too much," I knew it sounded horrible and part of me felt like we should try and find him but it was too much of a risk. He was too much of a risk and I already knew Minho and Thomas didn't care enough to jump at the chance of finding him either. 

"Okay. I guess we go and tell these slintheads what's happening tomorrow then?" Minho put the rest of the apple back in the fridge and gestured towards the door. I just nodded, following him, it suddenly becoming clear in my mind that we might be getting out of here. I might be able to start a normal life. I smiled at the thought as Thomas and Minho gathered the remaining gladers round where the campfire would be. I saw (Y/n) join the crowd, her hair blowing a little in the wind and the light of the setting sun giving her a golden glow. I watched her and hoped that somewhere in the future,  she was a part of my normal life.